Console heating and cooling apparatus

ABSTRACT

A temperature controlled storage container integrated into the trim member of a vehicle comprising a storage container integrated into said trim member. A thermoelectric heat pump is employed to provide temperature control to the storage container and to selectively heat or cool the container. Optionally, a duct is added that is in communication with the thermoelectric heat pump wherein the duct is also in communication with air intake resulting from motion of the vehicle and wherein the duct is also capable of venting outside of said vehicle.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a U.S. national stage completion of InternationalApplication No. PCT/US01/20477 filed Jun. 27, 2001, and published Jan.3, 2002 as International Publication No. WO 02/00458, designating theUnited States, and which claims benefit of U.S. Provisional ApplicationNo. 60/214,579 Jun. 28, 2000.

This invention relates generally to automotive temperature controlledstorage containers, and more particularly, to temperature controlledstorage containers integrated into automotive interior trim members.

To better understand and appreciate the invention, refer to thefollowing detailed description in connection with the accompanyingdrawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a temperature controlled storagecontainer according to the present invention.

A temperature controlled storage container integrated into the trimmember of a vehicle comprising a storage container integrated into saidtrim member. A thermoelectric heat pump is employed to providetemperature control to said storage container to selectively heat orcool the container. Preferably, a duct is added that is in communicationwith said thermoelectric heat pump wherein said duct is also incommunication with air intake resulting from motion of said vehicle andwherein said duct is also capable of venting outside of said vehicle.

As shown in FIG. 1, the temperature controlled storage container 10 ofthe present invention is integrated into an interior trim member 12 ofan automotive vehicle. More specifically, temperature controlled storagecontainer 10 is shown integrated in the center console of an automotivevehicle, although it may be integrated in any interior trim member suchas the instrument panel, quarter trim panels, parcel shelf, door panels,or close-out panels.

Preferably temperature controlled storage container 10 comprises acavity 14 disposed in the interior trim member 12. Furthermore, it ispreferred that storage container 10 be closeable, either by way of ahinged or a sliding door 16. Alternately, storage container 10 maycomprise a separate container or bin that mounts in an automotiveinterior trim member, as through an aperture in the trim feature,between the trim panel and the vehicle chassis or otherwise.

In consideration of efficiently maintaining a cooled or heatedenvironment within temperature controlled storage container 10, it ispreferred that storage container 10 comprise an insulating means.Insulating means is preferably provided to fully insulate storagecontainer 10, including door 16. The preferred insulating meanscomprises an expanded polymeric foam, including, but not limited to,polystyrene, polypropylene, polyethylene and polyurethane.

Alternately, insulating means may comprise an at least partiallyenclosed airspace, or an at least partially evacuated region,surrounding temperature controlled storage container 10. Such atemperature controlled storage container 10 may be manufactured using aplastic blow molding operation, therein easily achieving a double walledcontainer having a void between spaced apart walls. The void between thespaced apart walls may optionally be evacuated to further improve theinsulating capacity of storage container. Furthermore, the blow moldingoperation may be used to manufacture storage container 10 integrallywith a trim member.

Temperature control for storage container 10 is provided by athermoelectric heat pump. Preferably the thermoelectric heat pump is asolid state thermoelectric cooler/heater 11 of the variety known in theart.

A thermoelectric cooler/heater 11 is made even more desirable by thefact that direction of heat flow can be reversed by a reversal of thedirection of flow of the electric current through the system. By thismethod, temperature controlled storage container 10 may be used toprovide a heated environment (e.g. above the ambient temperature of thepassenger compartment of the vehicle or outside surroundings) as well asa cooled environment (e.g. below the ambient temperature of thepassenger compartment of the vehicle or vehicle outside surroundings).

The thermoelectric cooling/heating unit 11, as illustrated in FIG. 1,comprises an internal heat sink 18 (i.e. a heat sink thermally coupledto the cavity 14 of the temperature controlled storage container 10).The internal heat sink 18 may comprise a plate (shown) disposed on oneof the cavity surfaces of storage container 10, or may alternatelycomprise a plurality of fins projecting into the cavity 14 of storagecontainer 10. A fin may be circular, for example, in which case abeverage can or bottle may be placed within its confines.

Internal heat sink 18 is thermally coupled to a first side of thethermoelectric cooling/heating module 20. The opposing side of thethermoelectric cooling/heating module 20 is in turn thermally coupled toan external heat sink 22 (i.e. a heat sink not thermally coupled to thecavity 14 of the temperature controlled storage container 10).Thermoelectric cooling/heating module 20 transports heat from internalheat sink 18 to external heat sink 22 when operating to heat the cavity14 temperature of storage container 10 or, vice-versa, to cool thecavity 14 storage container 10.

External heat sink 22 must dissipate heat when cavity 14 of storagecontainer 10 is being cooled, and gather heat when cavity 14 of storagecontainer 10 is being heated. Preferably external heat sink 22 comprisea continuous surface 24 having fins 26 projecting therefrom. To provideefficient heat dissipation or absorption, it is preferred that externalheat sink 22 be positioned to allow free air circulation about fins 26.It is further preferred that at least a portion of fins 26 be in fluidcommunication with a duct 28.

The efficiency of heat dissipation or absorption by external heat sink22 may be further improved by providing a means for forced convectionacross fins 26. Forced convection is preferably provided through the useof a fan or blower 30 in fluid communication with duct 28. Preferablyduct 28 is capable of venting outside of the vehicle passengercompartment to prevent any undesired heating or cooling of the passengercompartment Duct 28 may optionally also contain an air intake disposedto make use of “ram air” induction, i.e. forced convection resultingfrom the motion of the vehicle.

The heating capacity of thermoelectric cooling/heating unit 11 may beimproved by increasing the ambient air temperature proximate externalheat sink 18. In an automotive environment this is most easilyaccomplished using the vehicle heating system. A stream of heated airproduced by the vehicle heating system may be selectively supplied toexternal heat sink 18 through duct 28. To prevent undesired heating ofthe vehicle passenger compartment, duct 28 may optionally allow forventing to the exterior of the passenger compartment. Vice-versa, thecooling capacity of the thermoelectric cooling/heating unit 11 may beimproved by decreasing the ambient temperature proximate external heatsink 18.

Thermoelectric cooling/heating unit 11 is preferably supplied with therequisite electrical power from the vehicles electrical system.Alternately, thermoelectric cooling/heating unit 11 may possess aseparate power supply, such as a dedicated battery. A separate powersupply for thermoelectric cooling/heating unit may optionally beconfigured to be chargeable from the vehicle electrical system.

When temperature controlled storage container 10 is to be capable ofoperation even when the vehicle is not running, undesirable drain of thevehicle battery may be prevented through the incorporation of a batterypower level sensor, such as a volt meter. The controller for thethermoelectric cooling/heating unit is preferably configured todiscontinue operation when the charge on the vehicle battery falls belowa predetermined level.

In considering the storage of a variety of items with differing optimumstorage temperatures, it is preferred that temperature controlledstorage container 10 be equipped with a means for controlling thetemperature of cavity 14 storage container 10. Temperature control ismost easily accomplished using a conventional thermostat known in theart. The thermostat may be configured to control the thermoelectriccooling/heating unit in an on/off, proportional, proportional/integral,proportional/derivative, or proportional/integral/derivative.

The overall cooling/heating capacity of temperature controlled storagecontainer 10 may optionally be increased by providing storage container10 with additional thermoelectric cooling/heating units, and/orincreasing the size of the thermoelectric cooling/heating unit 11.Thermoelectric cooling/heating unit 11 may be sized to be substantiallycoextensive with an interior surface of temperature controlled storagecontainer 10. Additionally, temperature controlled storage container maybe provided with thermoelectric cooling/heating units on more than oneinterior surface, e.g. the bottom interior surface and one, or more, orthe sidewall interior surfaces.

Similarly, the maximum temperature differential, i.e. the differencebetween ambient temperature of the passenger compartment or outsidevehicle surroundings and the temperature of cavity 14 of storagecontainer 10, may be increased by cascading thermoelectriccooling/heating unit. A cascaded thermoelectric cooling/heating unitcomprises a plurality of individual thermoelectric cooling/heatingunits, modules, stacked such that adjacent modules share a common heatsink.

In addition to the use of thermoelectric cooling/heating unit 11, cavity14 of storage container 10 may be supplemented with heated or cooled airfrom the vehicle's heating and cooling systems, such as the HVAC unit.This will speed the cooling or heating of cavity 14 of storage container10 as composed to when thermoelectric cooling/heating unit 11 is usualsolely. The air may flow through a duct 36 and enter into cavity 14 ofstorage container 10 through an aperture 32. Preferably, aperture 32 maybe closed by a door or flap 34 when air from the vehicle's heating andcooling system is not provided.

What is claimed is:
 1. A temperature controlled storage containerintegrated into the trim member of a vehicle comprising: (a) a storagecontainer integrated into said trim member (b) a thermoelectric heatpump to provide temperature control to said storage container toselectively heat or cool said container (c) a duct in communication withsaid thermoelectric heat pump wherein said duct is in communication withair intake resulting from motion of said vehicle and wherein said ductis also capable of venting outside of said vehicle.
 2. The temperaturecontrolled storage container of claim 1 wherein said vehicle contains aheating/cooling system and said duct is in communication with saidheating/cooling system to thereby increase the heating/cooling capacityof said thermoelectric heat pump.
 3. The temperature controlled storagecontainer of claim 1 wherein said trim member is a center console. 4.The temperature controlled storage container of claim 1 wherein saidtrim component is an instrument panel.
 5. The temperature controlledstorage unit of claim 1 wherein said trim component is a quarter panel.6. The temperature controlled storage unit of claim 1 wherein said trimcomponent is a rear parcel shelf.
 7. The temperature controlled storageunit of claim 1 wherein said trim component is a vehicle close-outpanel.
 8. The temperature controlled storage unit of claim 1 whereinsaid storage container is of hollow construction.
 9. The temperaturecontrolled storage unit of claim 8 wherein said hollow construction isfilled with an insulating material.
 10. The temperature controlledstorage unit of claim 9 wherein the insulating material is foam.